Harvey Weinstein

A flamboyant, aggressive and often confrontational co-chairman who formed Miramax Films with his younger brother Bob, Harvey Weinstein became the darling distributor of the indie film world, ultimatel...
Read More...

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /media/www/hollywood/Web/releases/20150325105258/vendor/doctrine/common/lib/Doctrine/Common/Annotations/FileCacheReader.php on line 202
Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /media/www/hollywood/Web/releases/20150325105258/vendor/doctrine/common/lib/Doctrine/Common/Annotations/FileCacheReader.php on line 202
Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /media/www/hollywood/Web/releases/20150325105258/vendor/doctrine/common/lib/Doctrine/Common/Annotations/FileCacheReader.php on line 202
Harvey Weinstein's publicist confirms movie mogul is helping police over sex assault allegations

By:
WENN.com
Mar 31, 2015

A spokesman for movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has confirmed his client is helping police with their investigation into allegations he groped a woman at a Tribeca Film Center event in New York City on Friday night (27Mar15). The unnamed 22 year old has accused the producer, 63, of touching her breasts and thighs.
Weinstein has reportedly been questioned by police, and now his publicist Ken Sunshine has released a statement, which reads: "We are cooperating fully with the authorities and are confident that we will be fully vindicated."

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has reportedly been questioned by New York police over allegations of sexual abuse. The movie mogul, who is married to British actress and Marchesa fashion designer Georgina Chapman, was not arrested, but did speak to cops about a report filed by a 22-year-old Italian model following an alleged encounter at the Tribeca Film Center in Manhattan on Friday (27Mar15), according to the New York Daily News.
The woman, whose identity has not been revealed, claims the 63-year-old producer touched her genital area and groped her breasts during the incident.
A police source tells the Daily News, "He initiated the contact. He saw her and spoke to her. She didn't know who he was until he approached her."
A representative for the New York Police Department (NYPD) has since confirmed the complaint to The Hollywood Reporter.
Weinstein, who wed Chapman in 2007, has yet to respond to the accusations.

Actor Kelsey Grammer fears Sunday's (15Mar15) first preview of his new Broadway show Finding Neverland will be a disaster because rehearsals have already included an on-set accident and a failed costume change. The former Frasier star portrays Charles Frohman, the producer of playwright J.M. Barrie's production of Peter Pan, and the curtain is due to go up for the first time on the musical at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre this weekend.
However, Grammer has warned the audience at Sunday's show to be prepared for hiccups as castmembers and producers still have a number of kinks to work out.
During an interview with U.S. talk show host David Letterman on Wednesday night (11Mar15), he explained, "We were standing on the stage rehearsing (today) and I realised we hadn't done that scene for about 10 days, so I thought, 'We're probably in trouble on Sunday', 'cause I didn't remember anything I was meant to say...!
"The New York audience is great, you know, the Broadway gang, because they know accidents are bound to happen (in previews). We've had a couple - one girl got knocked out by a harpoon the other day."
He continued, "I've got one costume change at the beginning of the show that hasn't gone right yet. I'm about 30 seconds behind so I'm not sure what's gonna happen."
However, Grammer is confident that once the show officially launches on 15 April (15), theatregoers will not be disappointed.
He says, "It's a very, very complex show. Finding Neverland is gonna be a great show. A lot of people are gonna just fall in love with this and it's gonna run for 25, 30 years. I've honestly been telling people if they don't see it, they will regret it."
Grammer will star alongside Glee actor Matthew Morrison, who will portray Barrie, while Tony winner Diane Paulus will direct the production, which is being produced by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston, among others.

Harvey Weinstein has urged Kanye West to pursue his Hollywood dreams because the rapper will be a "great filmmaker". The Stronger star teamed up with music mogul Damon Dash to produce a film project called Loisaidas, and Dash subsequently hailed his friend as the next big "actor or director" and insisted he wants to make more movies with him.
West has now won the backing of movie industry heavyweight Weinstein, who has produced numerous Oscar-winning hits with his The Weinstein Company, as he tips the hip-hop veteran as Hollywood's next rising star.
He tells New York Daily News, "(I) love it (the idea of West making films)... I'm excited. He'll be great. I've known Kanye a long time... He's going to be a great filmmaker. He really is good."
The rapper previously directed a 30-minute film called Cruel Summer, which he screened at the Cannes Film Festival in France in 2012.

Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein and Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner are among the thousands of industry creatives who are appealing to the U.S. Congress in support of a stronger copyright system. On Tuesday (10Mar15), more than 1,500 members of the entertainment industry's creative community sent letters to members of the Senate and House of Representatives, urging them to uphold a strong copyright law, which is currently under review.
Officials at the Creative Alliance and CreativeFuture, organisations which represent actors and executives in film and TV, musicians and authors and publishers, joined forces for the campaign stressing the importance of "a strong copyright system that rewards creativity and promotes a healthy creative economy."
A portion of the letter reads: "We embrace the Internet as a powerful democratizing force for our world and for creative industries. We proudly assert that copyright promotes and protects free speech. Copyright should protect creatives from those who would use the internet to undermine creativity. Creatives must be part of the conversation.
"The creative community stands united in support of a copyright system that has made and continues to make the United States the global leader in the creative arts and the global paradigm for free expression.
"Our copyright system is not perfect but, like democracy, it is better than the alternatives. It works. We urge Congress to resist attempts to erode the right of creatives to determine when and how they share their works in the global marketplace."
In addition to Weinstein and Weiner, other notable names supporting the campaign include Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, director John Waters, musician T. Bone Burnett and Directors Guild of America leader Jay Roth.

Actor Bryan Cranston is throwing his star support behind new Broadway musical Finding Neverland after signing on as a producer. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who helped produce the Breaking Bad star's Tony Award-winning production of All the Way last year (14), reveals Cranston became so enchanted by an early workshop of the Peter Pan origin story, he wanted to invest in the stage show.
Announcing the news in a statement, Weinstein writes, "We were so thrilled that he wanted to come on board as an investor. Having him as an ally and offering his overall support of this production means the world. He has given Diane (Paulus, director) and me such smart, constructive creative advice."
Glee actor Matthew Morrison will portray playwright J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland, with former Frasier star Kelsey Grammer as his producer. The production will feature a score by British pop star Gary Barlow.
Previews will begin on 15 March (15) at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, with opening night set for 15 April (15).

Kelsey Grammer has ended a long-running feud with Piers Morgan three years after storming off the set of the former newsman's CNN show. The Frasier star hit headlines in 2012 when he pulled out of an appearance on U.S. TV series Piers Morgan Tonight at the very last minute after spotting a picture of his ex-wife Camille in the show's opening credits.
Morgan was infuriated by the drama and banned Grammer from ever working with him in the future, but the pair put the feud behind them at a pre-Oscars party thrown by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein in California last month (Feb15).
In his diary column for Britain's Event magazine, Morgan writes, "I kissed and made up with Kelsey Grammer. The Cheers legend walked off my CNN show before even reaching the set after a blazing row with my producers in the green room over our use of a photo of his ex-wife in the pre-taped opening trailer. He was upset because he was with his new wife... Kayte. I let rip at his rudeness on air and his publicist later returned fire on Kelsey's behalf.
"So tonight, when I came face to face with him and Kayte, it could have been very awkward. 'Group hug?' I suggested. They burst out laughing, and we did indeed group-hug. 'Kelsey did it for me, he was protecting my honour,' said Kayte. 'I understand,' I replied. 'I'm sorry my own reaction was a little intemperate.' I'm either getting soft in my older age, or more mature. Both would be a worrying development."
Grammer endured a bitter divorce battle with Camille after their split in 2010. He went on to marry Kayte Walsh in 2011.

Filmmaker/writer Galt Niederhoffer has accused her former partner of plotting to poison her in court papers submitted as part of the former couple's custody battle over their two-year-old son. Niederhoffer, who has produced films including Robot & Frank, After.Life and The Romantics, which was based on her novel of the same name, is currently locked in an ugly court battle with her former partner Jonathan Gordon.
The former couple is warring over custody of their son, and Niederhoffer has filed court papers in which she alleges lawyer Gordon, 40, attempted to kill her by lacing her food with arsenic.
In the documents, which were filed with a court in Brooklyn, New York, and obtained by the New York Daily News, Niederhoffer, 38, alleges tests also found "high levels of arsenic" in her blood.
As part of her custody battle she has included affidavits from friends including movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who calls her "a loving and devoted mother".
Niederhoffer lost custody of her little boy last month (Jan15) and is fighting to get him back.
Her novel A Taxonomy of Barnacles is set to become a new film starring Alan Rickman, Katie Holmes, Evan Rachel Wood and Zosia Mamet.

Oscar winner Joel Grey honoured The Imitation Game on behalf of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) gala on Saturday night (31Jan15). Just days after the Cabaret star, 82, officially "came out" as a gay man, Grey was on hand for the annual event, staged by America's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights advocacy group.
Grey took the stage at New York's Waldorf Astoria to present the producers and stars of The Imitation Game with the Ally for Equality Award, which honours LGBT-related work and support.
In the Oscar-nominated film, Benedict Cumberbatch portrays British World War II code breaker Alan Turing, who was prosecuted after the war for "homosexual acts".
Prior to presenting the trophy, Grey lauded the movie for telling Turing's story, and said, "Did you know that it was an openly gay Englishman who was as responsible as any man for winning the Second World War? His name was Alan Turing... Why don’t they teach any of this in the schools?
"We have come a long way but we must never forget out past, or our heroes. Today, Turing's vital story is finally being told."
Producer Harvey Weinstein, director Morten Tyldum and Cumberbatch's castmate Matthew Goode were on hand to receive the accolade, while Cumberbatch himself could not attend the gala due to filming commitments in London.

Dame Judi Dench is planning to go under the needle to get a new tattoo to mark her 80th birthday. The Bond star reached the milestone on 9 December (15), and she is planning to have an Indian symbol inked on her skin to celebrate becoming an octogenarian.
Dench tells Britain's Good Housekeeping magazine, "I am tempted to have a tattoo to mark my birthday. (My daughter) is very keen on me having one. There's an Indian symbol I like, which supposedly represents life and love and everything. One of the cameramen who worked on (2011 movie) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel told me what it meant, but I am a bit nervous in case I am being set up. It might be unbelievably rude."
Dench previously hit headlines by baring her bottom to movie mogul Harvey Weinstein at an industry party and flashing a fake tattoo of his name.

Title

With brother Bob, founded Miramax Films, named for their parents Miriam and Max Weinstein

Miramax won first Best Picture Oscar with "The English Patient"

Was an executive producer on "Chocolat," helmed by Lasse Hallstrom

Gained control of a movie theater; began putting on second- and third-run features costing $50-$100

The Weinstein Company announced a distribution pact with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; MGM distributed the product domestically in theaters, while the Weinstein Company retained long-term ownership of their product

Miramax signed eight-film agreement with MGM

Brothers journeyed to Cannes Film Festival with the proceeds from a music-producing business they ran in college; acquired rights to concert film "The Secret Policeman's Ball" and achieved art-house hit on double bill with "The Secret Policeman's Other Ba

Summary

A flamboyant, aggressive and often confrontational co-chairman who formed Miramax Films with his younger brother Bob, Harvey Weinstein became the darling distributor of the indie film world, ultimately emerging as one of the most powerful moguls in Hollywood. But with huge success came a reputation for rudeness and bullying, earning him a large share of detractors. Still, he was passionate about film and managed to shine a light on movies that otherwise would have been ignored. With Miramax, Weinstein distributed such art-house hits as "sex, lies, and videotape" (1989), "My Left Foot" (1989), "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!" (1990) and "The Crying Game" (1992), the last being one of Miramax's first big hits. But it was Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" (1994) that cemented his place as a top studio head. He won his first Best Picture Oscar with "The English Patient" (1996) while joining forces with Disney, proving that he had as much business savvy as he did taste in film. During his partnership with Disney, Weinstein elevated his game with "Good Will Hunting" (1997), "Shakespeare in Love" (1998) and "In the Bedroom" (2001), all of which earned significant award recognition. But the venture with Disney dissolved in highly public fashion, leaving the Weinsteins without control over their former company. The brothers re-emerged with The Weinstein Co., which saw them on top of the heap once more with the Oscar-winning drama, "The King's Speech" (2010), proving that Weinstein also had that rare ability to mount a comeback.

Born 1954; Co-founded Miramax Films in 1979 and The Weinstein Company in 2005

Max Weinstein

Father

Miriam Weinstein

Mother

Emma Weinstein

Daughter

Born Feb. 2, 1998; mother, Eve Chilton

Lily Weinstein

Daughter

Born Feb. 20, 1995; mother, Eve Chilton

India Weinstein

Daughter

Born Aug. 29, 2010; mother, Georgina Chapman

Ruth Weinstein

Daughter

Born Oct. 31, 2002; mother, Eve Chilton

Education

Name

University of Buffalo

Notes

Referring to Miramax's plans to redistribute "The Long Walk Home" in the spring of 1991, Weinstein said, "This effort is for everybody who strikes out one time and needs another chance. And if Miramax means anything, its epitaph would be that this was the place that wasn't afraid to break the rules." – from The New York Times, March 20, 1991

In order to promote the 1991 film "The Pope Must Die," Miramax eventually decided to re-title the tale of a corpulent pontiff to "The Pope Must Diet."

"In terms of his sense of how to run a studio and his incredible taste in the years when he was at MGM, I suppose the guy that I look to has always been Irving Thalberg. I guess David Selznick also, because he took wild risks like 'Gone with the Wind' and Alfred Hitchcock and worked very closely as a producer and filmmaker. On the marketing side, I admire Mike Todd, who produced 'Around the World in 80 Days.' During the depression, when he was a Broadway showman, he had a play that was a bomb with the critics. He hired a thousand people to stand in line every day of the week on Broadway, so people thought it was this massive hit. They were buying tickets that he couldn't give away, and then finally the show ran six months to a year just based on the stunt that he pulled. So I get a kick out of all three of them." – Weinstein quoted in GQ, October 1995

"Harried-looking aides stream in and out of Harvey's shoe-box office, looking like medical orderlies in 'ER,' delivering scripts, faxes, contracts and other random data. All this they heap onto Harvey's desk, which already is strewn with crumpled memos, abandoned coffee cups, an oversized ashtray filled with cigarette butts and a collection of over-the-counter remedies ranging from Mylanta to simple aspirin. While many top film executives arrive at their office looking like they were prepping for a GQ photo shoot, Harvey dresses for combat duty, indeed, he occasionally looks like a refugee from a food fight. Harvey is often described as pugnacious, but those who've made movies at Miramax testify to his passion for films and filmmakers, most of all, his passion for hits." – J. Max Robins in Variety, Jan. 28, 1996

Weinsten was awarded an honorary doctorate from SUNY, Buffalo in 2000.

He was made Chevalier de L'Ordre Arts et Lettres by the French government in 2001.

"We have a relationship that's like family...We've done a lot of good work together over the years. Sometimes we really don't like each other. But that's sort of how it goes. He can be quite horrible – like, the bad version of him is horrible. But the good version of him is totally sublime and fantastic. But the connection will always be there – it is like family to me." – Gwyneth Paltrow on her relationship with Weinstein, The Los Angeles Times, Sept. 11, 2005

Weinstein was one of five wealthy individuals who received extortion demand letters from a struggling actor. The Smoking Gun reported that 25-year-old Vivek Shah threatened to kill members of Weinstein's family unless the media mogul wired millions of dollars to an offshore bank account. Shah was arrested on Aug. 10, 2102.